It was like a blast from the past. The good old days? Well, without the sail home in the dark with a belly full of beer. In near perfect conditions, 11 boats took to the sea for the cruise around to the Shirehampton BBQ on Sunday. Steve Pascoe led the way in his newly polished Contender, followed by a 420, 2000, 3000, Buzz, 3 Wayfarers, Pete & Anna in their Firefly and 2 PYSC Visions. A steady breeze from the SW ensured a quick reach to the mouth of the Avon, followed by the usual head scratching in the quirky winds up the river and under the M5.

A total of 25 sailors, including 4 new or prospective members, plus 4 in the rescue boats and 4 more by road, ensured that we kept the BBQ team busy. There was the usual huffing & puffing to get the boats out of the water and onto the grass before we could enjoy the hospitality and sit out in the warm sunshine. Even the Matthew came out to take a look at us.

After 2nd helpings of burgers / sausages and a couple of team photos, there was more huffing & puffing to get everybody launched again, with great help from our hosts.

The trip back to the mouth of the river was relatively straightforward and everybody managed to avoid the embarrassment of a pause at Chorlton Bank! With the wind having lifted and now working against the outgoing tide, the journey home was rather lumpier than the outbound leg. However, with the assistance of the tide and a solid breeze, everybody made it back to PYSC quickly and safely. There were big smiles to be seen all around the slipway.